TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1872.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 610, 30 January 1872, Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1872.

Ls" most people the bump of wonder has a large development, and it requires only something unknown and mysterious to throw it into active excitement. At present Auckland has a ghost. Nobody has seen the phantom, but somebody has seen somebody else, who has heard from somebody else that he has seen it; and it requires but a red hand, or something similar, painted on a wall in some of the outskirts of the town, to turn the city pale with affright. Internationalism is in our midst. The demon that fired Paris with fratricidal frenzy, that incited to a fiendish love of fire and blood, that unsexed woman, and made her a petroleuse, —that dark, invisible, mysterious, vengeful, murderous, but ever silent, spirit is in Auckland. Its blood-shot eye is fixed on us night and day, and its red hand conceals beneath its gory robe the brand that is to light up our heavens with the lurid glare of a universal conflagration. Let us speak with bated breath. Hushed be ail our suspicions. Has not the secret been extorted in an unguarded moment of excitement; and from the very emissary of the international society, who commands fifty commanders, who hold the wills of a multitude of sworn foes to wealth and order; who has but to give the signal, the waving of the hand, or the scratching of the nose, or some other preconcerted sigu, and a thousand daggers will spring from a thousand sheaths, and a thousand brands will spread flames and death among our shrieking terror-stricken citizens. "We really feel sorry to disturb the pleasurable excitement which the contemplation of such a prospect is calculated to afford to a mystery-and-wonder-loving people. And we are strongly tempted to find the utmost satisfaction in fanning the public curiosity by winks and nods, and by the more potent influence of a grave silence, eloquent of unutterable horrors. We have met men in this city, grown up, bearded men, who profess to believe in the existence in our midst of ramifications of the International Society; and all because a miserable man, to surround his shameful position with eclat, has assumed the mysterious, and boasted of a power superior to his captors. " There are fifty of us," said the captured fugitive, " and lam captain of the band." But mysterious awe has reached its culminating point in the words, " Oh! they are very strong, but I have something that will crush them." As much as to say, "I bow my head with dignity; I do so because the exigencies of our great cause demand it. Our plans are not yet matured, but in that hand on which I suffer the bracelet to rest with impunity, I hold the thunders of the International Society." We certainly should not have believed, had Iwe not visible evidence, that any one would have set any value on such bunkum. How any one having the least knowledge of the constitution of colonial society, or any appreciation of the effects of institutions such as ours, could really believe tlat a communistic spirit could breath our atmosphere, is in itself incredible. Although the descriptions of the ramifications of the International Society in England, are palpable exaggerations, we can quite understand | how levelling principles might there find a fertile soil. In a country where hereditary castes are as clearly* defined as in India, where hundreds possess the soil, and millions tread the earth unable to call one square foot their own, and without the prospect that either they or their children or their children's children will ever by legitimate means, be able to claim a right to as much of earth's surface as their feet can rest upon ;in such circumstances where a minority possess hereditary rights to rule, and the vast majority of the population are born and liye to serve, we cannot wonder if communistic principles should take root and flourish. But we do not hesitate to say that in the political and social atmosphere of such a colony as this, communism could not exist. There is not a working man in the colony, but by reasonable industry can become a proprietor of landed estate, and can raiae himself if he have the talents, to the highest position of political influence. There are no hereditary rights and but little hereditary property; nor is there to bo found within our coasts either wealth or power possessed by any one, or any party, that can throwablightingshadow over honest industry. All men know this, and there are as a consequence, no "dangerous classes." All men can easily acquire some little property by ordinary frugal industry ; under our homostead law, a man can even have landed property and a home as a free gift; bpt irrespective of this, every man has

the prospect and the power of becoming in the colony, to a greater or less degree, a holder of property ; and the moment a man acquires a single allotment, or any real stake in the country, that moment he becomes conservative, and the enemy of violent, revolutionary change. In England it may be that the cupidity of the masses may incline them to violent convulsions, from having everything to' gain and nothing to lose. Butinacolony such as ours, the majority have sometliing to lose, and that something would be instantly depreciated in value by violent political convulsion, and this to such an extent that it would not be recouped by the distribution of all the amassed wealth in the country, which might be effected by the complete triumph of communistic principles. For example, in the Province of Auckland, if the earthly possessions of the "Twelve Apostles," who represent the " bloated plutocracy " of the place, and who are supposed to be peculiarly obnoxious to these imaginary foes of order, were sold up and distributed, and especially in a time of political turmoil, the result would not give perhaps a pound a piece to every inhabitant —which would bear a very small proportion to the loss that would occur to every individual, in the paralysis of trade and industry of every kind. The bulk of the people may not reason this way, but the state of things existing in the colony has its influence nevertheless on social and political feeling. There are individuals or small coteries who, from personal or local causes, may be inspired with dangerous vindictive feelings ; but to dignify such a despicable thing with the name of a wide-spread political and social movement, argues a singular amount of ignorance of colonial social feeling. A colony such as ours fails to supply the conditions, in which alone, international communism could exist. Our population is almost wholly composed of those whose selfish interests, and consequent predilections must be on the side of order; and though there are those who from various causes — dissappointment, chagrin, or otherwise —feel at enmity with society, they would not afford a mouthful a piece to those who from the very necessity of their position, must be prepared to rally around the cause of law and order. To pay the slightest attention to the bembastical ravings of a detected malefactor, who seeks to throw a halo of glory around his own head, as if he were the high priest of the coming political faith of the world, argues a simplicity of mind, and an ignorance of human nature that is not creditable to colonists. On the case at present pending in our Courts we refrain from offering remark ; but we cannot refrain from expressing our contempt for the chicken-heartedness that has conjured up a ghost, and prates about international communism; because a narrow minded personal vindictive spite has tried to exalt itself into a " sacred cause," and babbles "There are fifty of us, and I am captain of the band," and " Ah, they ai*e very strong, but I have something that will crush them."

The hideous scenes of immorality in the midst of festering filth,' which exist even in his small city, arc such as could not possibly be believed except by those who are obliged to attend the Police Court; and the gross deptii of degradation to which men and women can descend in this Christian land, shews that there ia " a screw loose" somewhere. Dens of infamy exist, in which men an woman may be seen by the curious inquirer lying, as was testified to in a case this morning by several witnesses, ' huddled up together on the floor like so many pigs, excepting that the place was too bad fo apigstye." Unfortunately, the case agai ns^ the occupier and inmates of this den of wickedness and hot-bed of crime, broke down because the police, in their excess of zeal and righteous disgust and horror at the scenes to which their attention was drawn, entered the Tophet and captured the inmites without having first procured a warrant to arrest them. His Worship the Resident Magistrate held that the law gave them no powers to do so, but that they should either have obtainod a warrant or proceeded through the milder channel of summonsing the offenders. He had no alternative but to dismiss the case. The appearance of some of the party was horrible in the extreme. Mangled and bloated faces, and tottering frames, shewed plainly enough the origin of the evil. Eeally it is time that the law should be so amended as to allow the custodians of the peace to enter any filthy place that is a nuisance to the neighbors. Even for the good of the wretched and debased inmates, such a course would be desirable ; for the discipline of a gaol might effect the good which city missionaries and other mildly disposed philanthropists fail to do.

At the Eegatta yesterday the Dauntless returned from Tiri Tiri first, with the Na Nona second, the time being 6 hours 40 min. 31 sec, and 6 houra 49 min. 20 sec. By a time allowance to the latter vessel she won by a few seconds. The Cambria struck on a sunken rock off Tiri Tiri, ■while leading, and had to be beached and repaired. She did not reach the harbour until seven o'clock this morning. In the second race the Sovereign of the Seas was declared the winner, the Mercury was second, sho passed the flagship only «is minutos after the winner, although she had been considerably delayed by carrying away the topmast oil passage up, but for this accident she would probably have beat the Sovereign. In the eleventh race, for dingicc, White won in the Willie. The twelvth event did not come off.

In tbo Supremo Court tenday, there was an application mado for respondent's costs in the divorce case " White v. White." The arguments will bo board, jn Chambers,

The remains of Mr. James Eyrie, late of the Metropolitan Hotel, were conveyed to their last resting place in the Presbyterian burial ground this afternoon. Alargenumberof friends followed. The deceased was intered in a triple coffin. The second one being expen* sively finished, but owing to a third one was ordered at the last moment, was not decorated or mounted as well as the undertaker (Mr. Black) would have wished had he have had time to complete his arrrngements.

A narrow escape from fire occurred lae^. night- A gentleman in passing the shop of Mr. N. Campbell, the tailor, in Queen street, observed the window curtains of the upper rooms to be in a blaze. He at once gave the alarm, and the inmates speedily extinguished the flames without extraneous assistance.

The case of Fenton v. Lo Koy, for disturbing his slumbers, appears to have lapsed in consequence of the dismantlement of th* battery from which proceeded the obnoxious sounds. The hearing of it was further ad» journed this morning. Other casos were also put off until to-morrow.

Challenges are generally plentiful after regattas. This morning the Mercury, which lost her topmast yesterday, challenged the Sovereign of the Seas to run her round the Watchman, Cape Colville, for £40. This afternoon the challenge has been accepted.

The City Hall was not opened last etening owing to the illustrator of the diorama not having returned from the yacht race round Tiri Tiri. To-night an addition to the programme will be made.

The regular monthly meeting of the United Service Lodge, No. 421, I.C. will bo held to> morrow evening at the Masonic Hotel, at half-past six o'clock.

the Auckland Regekta prizes will be paid this evening.

The Thame* Guardian says that " Mr. Collett, late manager of the Flagship Q-.M.Co. lias been arrested, we understand, at the suit of the company on three seperate charges of embezzlement. Mr. Tyler is engaged for tho prosecution. The priioner will be brought before tho R.M. to-day, and will probably be remanded.

The Melbourne Argus says, " A new Court, bouse has been opened for business, for the first time on the diggings. It is a mere «hbd, entirely unfurnished. The desk for tho Police Magistrate has an incline which reaches to his knees, and the affair is so inconvenient that the Justices will hare to hold their ink-bottles in one hand whilo they take notes with the other. There is no dock for tha prisoner, no box for the wit 'lessee, no table or chairs for tho lawvors or their ' fair ' cherubs ; no desk for the clerk; and no place for a water bottle."

An event of a somewhat novel and intesfcing character (says the Hobart Town Mercury) took place in the forest between Port Esperance and Surges Bay on Saturday, the 6th instant. It was a " chopping match" ; the splitter of ea eh place mustering itrongly, and backing their men. There were about sixty persons present to witness the match, and, after much running to and fro to find a suitable tree, one was at last fixed on for the contest. The rival competitor?, after the preliminary and necessary arrangements wero entered into, then stripped and commenced in real earnest. For twenty minutes each party was quietly and patiently watching, and but few bets were made, although each seemed confident of their man. Towards the end of tho match the excitement became interne, and bo close was the contest that it was really difficult to say who would be the winner, till at last the log fell,, and Murray, of Surges Baj, was declared the victor; Owen, of Port Esperanco, having only a thin strip of some two or three inches to cut through.